Omitted Medicine doses halved to improve patient safety

Reducing the number of missed doses of medicines has been a priority for the Trust and we are delighted to report that excellent progress has been made.

In 2014, audit results showed that the percentage of missed doses across the Trust was running at 8.3%. Following the Omitted Medicines Summit in May 2015 an action plan was developed and implemented with progress tracked through regular follow up meetings. The result has been a significant reduction in medicine omissions – initially in May the percentage dropped to 7.76% and reduced further to 5.26% in August 2015. This is great news, but it gets better!

Another audit was undertaken in February 2016 which showed a further reduction in missed doses to 4.5%. This shows that good progress has been made through implementing the actions identified in the action plan and this has been reflected in the audit results. A massive well done to all concerned and in particular the ward based Nursing staff for their hard work! This demonstrates that we are getting the basics right for our patients.

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute trust serving people
from across Hertfordshire, north London and further afield. The Trust is made up
of Watford, St Albans and Hemel Hempstead hospitals and sees about 600,000
patients a year. The Trust is one of the largest employers locally, with around
4,500 staff and volunteers.